Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Atherosclerosis
- Atherosclerosis
- atheroma-focal disease of the
intima-endothelial layer of large
& medium sized arteries
- risk factors
- family history
of ischaemic
heart disease
- modifable risk
factors:raised/reduced
LDL,hypertension,obesity,physical
inactivity,smoking,diabetes
mellitus...
- stages
- 1.Endothelial dysfunction (altered PGI2 & NO biosynthesis)
- 2.Endothelium injury (eg from disturbed blood flow at vessel
junctions) leads to monocyte attachment to endothelium
- 3.Attatched monocytes & ECs generate free radicals,
oxidising LDL bound to ECs (lipid peroxidation)
- 4.Oxidised LDL is taken up by macrophages, which
become foam cells. These migrate sub-endothelially to
form fatty streaks (precursors of atheroma)
- 5. SMC hyperplasia (uncontrolled
proliferation) & matrix deposition. This leads to
a dense fibrous cap overlying a lipid-rich core
- 6. Rupture leading to a thrombus formation (MI/blood clots)
- Lipoprotein Transport
- lipid & cholesterol are
transported in blood as
lipoproteins, 4 main
classes: chylomicrons,
HDL (exogenous
transport), LDL & VLDL
(endogenous)
- Transport of
exogenous
lipids
- -chylomicrons transport dietary lipids from the gut via lymph & plasma to capillary beds
- Core triglycerides are then hydrolysed to free fatty acids by lipoprotein (LP)-lipase
- Chylomicron remnants transport cholesterol esters to the liver where they are endocytosed
- Released cholesterol is either stored, oxidised to bile acids (secreted in
bile) or transported with triglycerides by endogenous transport pathway
- Transport of
endogenous lipids
- Cholesterol & triglycerides transport from liver to the tissues by VLDL
- Triglycerides are taken up by the tissues, leading LDL containing cholesterol esters
- Cells take up LDL by endocytosis via LDL
receptors that recognise LDL apolipoprotein
- Cholesterol can return to plasma from tissues in HDL particles
- LDL & thombosis
- lipoprotein(A) in LDL contains lipids and Apo(A).
Apo(A) inhibits plasmin formation, thereby
inhibiting fibrinolysis & promoting thrombosis
- LDL also activates platelets, further driving thrombosis
- Dyslipidaemia
- elevated LDL & reduced HDL
cholesterol levels cause
increased risk of
cardiovascular diseases
- primary
- genetic & classified into 6 phenotypes
- eg. type IIa
hyper-lipoproteinaemia (LDL
receptor defects=increased
LDL, dysfunctional
thrombosis & increased risk
of ischaemic heart disease
- Secondary
- environment, lifestyle- risk factor for
diabetes, renal, thyroid & liver diseases
- Lipid lowering drugs
- 1. Statins
- eg Simvastatin,
lovostatin,
prevastatin
- Competitive inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the
rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis-lower
cholesterol syn=increased LDL receptor syn
- =increased LDL clearance. MAIN EFFECT IS TO REDUCE LDL-CHOLESTEROL CONCS
- Also:improved endothelial function, reduced vascular inflammation,
reduced platelet aggregation, increased neovascularization under hypoxia
- increased circulating endothelial cell progenitors, plaque stabilisation,
reduced atherosclerosis & plaque stabilisation, increased fibrinolysis
- Clinical uses-reduce risk of MI & stroke in
patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis disease
- prevention of arterial disease in patients with high risks
- Atorvastatin has long-lasting effects & is used to lower
serum cholesterol levels in patients with LDL-R mutations
- first line of treatment
- 2. Fibrates
- agonists of nuclear receptor PPARa (activation
stimulates lipoprotein lipase production)=increased
triglyceride hydrolysis in chlymicrons & VLDL
- Plasma triglyceride levels are reduced & FFA are released
for storage in fat or for metabolic use in striated muscle
- reduce SMC inflammation by inhibiting txn factor
NF-kB levels (reduces plasma fibrinogen)
- eg. Bezafibrate, ciprofibrate, gemfibrozil, fenofibrate, clofibrate
- 3. Bile acid resins
- anion exhchange resins (colestyramine,
colestipol)-sequester bile acids in intestine & prevent
their reabsorbtion & recirculation
- =decreased absorption of exogenous cholesterol & increased
metabolism of endogenous cholesterol into bile acids in liver
- =LDL receptor expression on liver increased=further removal of LDL from
blood=13% fall in cholesterol levels,20-25% reduction coronary artery disease
- side effects- nausea, bloating & diarrhoea